2011 Volvo S60: First Look

Jay Williams - 10/February/2010

Gothenburg, Sweden - The all-new Volvo S60 is set to be unveiled at next month's Geneva Motor Show and released in Australian showrooms at the end of this year.

The Volvo S60 is quite different from anything the auto maker has produced in the past, this new vehicle features a sporty design, dynamic driving properties, innovative technologies and as you would expect from Volvo groundbreaking safety standards.

During its first year of production, the all-new Volvo S60 will be available with a variety of diesel and petrol engines spanning the range from an economical 85 kW DRIVe version to a high-performance turbocharged T6 petrol engine producing 224 kW.

The T6 3.0-litre petrol engine has been improved primarily thanks to lower internal friction. It now produces 224kW and 440Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes 6.5 seconds before hitting a top speed of 250 km/h.
While producing more power, Volvo engineers have succeeded in cutting fuel consumption by about 10 percent to 10.2-litres per 100km (EU Combined, preliminary figure).

The engine's power is delivered to the wheels via Volvo's second-generation six-speed automatic Geartronic transmission. New valves and lower friction mean faster gearchanges than before. All-Wheel Drive is standard on the T6.

The new four-cylinder 2.0-litre GTDi (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) engine  produces 149 kW with 300 Nm of torque available from 1750 rpm. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes 7.7 seconds with the manual gearbox and 8.2 seconds with the automatic. The top speed figures are 235 km/h (manual) and 230 km/h (automatic).
The Volvo S60 2.0T with manual gearbox uses just 7.9 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (EU Combined, preliminary figure).

Later during the first year of production, the all-new S60 will also become available as a 2.0-litre GTDi variant (T5) producing 176 kW and torque of 320 Nm. Furthermore, there will be a 1.6-litre GTDi engine available in two versions: 132 kW (T4) and 110 kW (T3) with torque of 240 Nm.

All the GTDi engines will be available in combination with Volvo's automatic six-speed Powershift transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox.

The engine range also includes two five-cylinder turbodiesels.

The D5 high-performance engine with twin turbos produces 151 kW and 420 Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes 7.8 seconds (manual and automatic). Top speed is 235 km/h (manual) and 230 km/h (automatic).

In the most recent D5 version, which was introduced in spring 2009, the performance and driveability requirements have been met by fitting two turbochargers of different sizes, one taking over from the other and providing added power across a broader rev range. Fuel consumption is 5.9-litre per 100 km (EU Combined, preliminary figure) with the manual gearbox.

In addition there is the newly developed 2.0-litre D3 producing 118kW and 400 Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes 9.2 seconds (manual and automatic). Top speed is 220 km/h (manual) and 215 km/h (automatic).

The new five-cylinder D3 is in principle the same engine as the present 2.4D, but cylinder capacity has been reduced with a shorter stroke to optimise fuel consumption. With a manual gearbox, fuel consumption (EU Combined, preliminary figure) is now 5.2 -litres per 100 km with a manual gearbox.

Both turbodiesels are available with six-speed automatic transmissions or a six-speed manual gearbox. The D5 can also be specified with all-wheel drive.

During the course of the first year of production, a DRIVe version of the all-new S60 will also be introduced, featuring a 1.6-litre diesel engine. Fuel consumption is 4.3 -litres per 100 km (EU Combined, preliminary figure), corresponding to CO2 emissions below 115 g/km. The engine produces 85kW and 270 Nm of torque, and will only be available with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The new Volvo S40 will also feature Pedestrian Detection, the system aids the driver in  avoiding collisions at speeds up to 35 km/h. If the car is travelling at a faster rate, the system is able to significantly reduce speed to reduce impact.

Corner Traction Control is another new feature that uses torque vectoring so the car takes curves even more smoothly. This technology is a further refinement of the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) system.

Related Links:
- Volvo C30 Electric (2011)
- Volvo and Vattenfall: New Plug-in Hybrid (2012)
- Volvo XC60 (2008)
- Volvo ReCharge Concept (2007)
- Volvo V70 (2007)
- Volvo XC60 (concept)
- Volvo Bioethanol 'Flexifuel' Cars (2007)
- Volvo C30 - The Turbocharged Troika (2006)
- Volvo C30 (2007)
- Volvo S80 (2006)